Regulations governing the acquisitions of trust land for Indians published today (September 18) in the Federal Register. Commissioner of Indian Affairs William E, Hallett said today. The regulations are to be effective on October 18, 1980.
These regulations followed a four-year study by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. "Over the years, large acreages of land have been acquired in trust under various statutory authorities," a Bureau spokesman said. "The policy governing such acquisitions has varied from time to time and has been extremely vague. Moreover, there are no standard procedures for processing and approving trust land acquisitions," Recognizing these inadequacies, the new regulations were written to clarify the procedures for processing and approving trust land acquisitions.
They apply to 25 CFR l20a (Land Acquisitions). In 1976 the BIA created a task force to review and update real property regulations. Proposed land acquisition regulations were published in the Federal Register on July 26, 1978. Seven public hearings on the proposed regulations were held at various locations around the country between March 28 and April 11, 1979.
For further information contact Raymond W. Jackson, Area Realty Officer, Phoenix Area Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, P. O. Box 7007, Phoenix, Arizona 85011, telephone 602/241-2275.
